Re: Thoughts on a 300 Blackout bolt gun
No one would argue that the .308 Win. is far more powerful than the .300 Blackout and certainly as flexible. That doesn't mean that the Blackout is a poor choice. One of the Blackout's advantages over the .308 Win. in a bolt gun is the same as it is in an AR - the ability to perform efficiently at SBR barrel lengths.
Is anyone really going to say that shooting .308 Win. at 16" or under barrel lengths is going to be pleasant? It'll be a "blast" for sure.
If you're content to have supersonic ballistics in the realm of 7.62x39mm or .30-30 Win. then the Blackout is a viable option in a bolt gun. Would anyone argue against the merits of a .30-30 Win.? Not likely.
Keep in mind, in order for your .308 Win. to shoot the heavier +220gr. bullets in a subsonic capacity, you're still going to need that fast twist 1:7" or 1:8" barrel that won't becessarily be ideal when you want to shoot your .308 Win. with full power supersonic loads.
To my way of thinking, each cartridge has it's own strengths and unique performance characteristics that allows them to cater to different audiences.
Another consideration is factory ammunition selection. I know it's hard to imagine but what if you DIDN'T reload? How difficult is it to locate subsonic .308 Winchester ammunition? What about affordability? Subsonic factory loaded Blackout ammo is considerably more affordable and much easier to find.
Factory plinking ammo is less costly as well. Remington UMC Blackout ammo is affordable and Wolf is bringing out their own steel cased ammo shortly that will be far cheaper than any .308 Win. ammo currently available.
If forced to choose only one rifle, it would be the .308 Win. for me. However, I'm lucky not to have to make that decision and I can enjoy shooting both cartridges. For my shooting, the Blackout is all that I need - most of the time.
Here's couple of my .300 Blackout bolt guns. I might build a third one just for the Hell of it. The first one is a 11.5" barrelled Weatherby Vanguard and the second is a 16" Remington 700.